Martin Owners Club Annual Event and Open House

Nazareth, PA – 1000-plus Martin guitar owners, collectors and enthusiasts made the trek to the legendary Martin factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, for the 3rd Annual Martin Owners Club Event and Open House on Friday, August 1.

Plenty of sunshine, music and camaraderie with like-minded individuals set the perfect backdrop for the day. Reflecting on the deep passion that Martin guitars inspire, this year’s annual gathering drew members from as far away as Finland, Germany, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

We began the morning by greeting more than a thousand acoustic guitar fans who came to revel in our Company’s rich musical history and be among their favorite guitars and the dedicated people who own them.

The event featured factory and museum tours, live musical performances, family entertainment, various educational clinics. It was highlighted by an address to the Club members by Chris Martin.

During his speech, Chris touched on a wide range of topics from the sustainable and responsible forestry of tonewoods to his first guitar lesson. Interestingly, the one comment that got the most applause from the crowd was the announcement that he and his family have no intention of selling the business -- not surprising considering the loyalty and passion this crowd has for his family’s guitars. In response to a member’s question, Chris stated the Company’s commitment to producing the finest acoustic instruments in the world and not necessarily branching out into other areas like electric or classical guitars. “We’ve tried some of those things in the past but have had only varying degrees of success selling them,” said Chris. He went on to say how amazed he was that people came from so far away to make this festival. “This is a terrific event, and we are thrilled that you all could make it,” said Chris.

The theme of this year’s event was the celebration of our 175th Anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, artists Robert Goetzl, and “Nub” of Nub Grafix, were on site signing postcards that were hand canceled with a special USPS-Martin stamp. Robert Goetzl created the artwork that was reproduced on the 175th Anniversary models, and Nub created artwork for the Nub X Limited Edition model.

If you were able to attend, we hope you left with great memories that will last a lifetime!